A journey of inner exploration: Emotions and mood in the context of introjective motor activity

Abstract

This study examines the effects that motor introjective activities of a cooperative nature had on the emotional experience and mood of a group of 91 undergraduates. The aims were 1) to investigate whether these kinds of activities affected the intensity of the positive, negative and ambiguous emotions reported by males and females, 2) to determine whether they modified the intensity of mood states, and 3) to examine whether a background in sport had an effect on the intensity of the emotional experience and mood states reported. Data were collected by means of the Games and Emotions Scale (GES) and the Profile of Mood States (POMS), and they were analysed using a model based on generalized estimating equations (GEE). The cooperative introjective motor activities evoked high levels of positive
emotions, intermediate levels of ambiguous emotions and low levels of negative emotions. Following participation in the cooperative activities the students gave significantly lower ratings on three factors of the POMS: tension-anxiety, anger-hostility and vigour-activity. Students with a sporting background reported less intense negative emotions and gave lower ratings on the tension-anxiety factor. It can be concluded that these kinds of cooperative activities stimulate the experience of positive emotions and have a positive effect on the participants’ mood.